Detroit Council proposing drastic cuts to various city services

**Hypestyles** · January-31-12, 02:22 AM

http://tinyurl.com/7q4d9kt

as the deadline heads closer. I guess we'll see what happens, it won't be good for services either way..

**Danny** · January-31-12, 03:18 PM

It's going to be over soon. The end of Black Detroit is coming and beginning of State takeover and white regionalization begins. Say hello to Delta City.

**Novine** · January-31-12, 04:11 PM

They better get moving on getting Robocop here.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...p/posts/155207

Buy American · January-31-12, 05:57 PM

The clowncil is proposing some pretty drastic cuts all right....however, Puke is giving his Chief of Staff [[a pretty boy with dreds) a $6,000/yr. raise....explain that to me. Unbelieveable, unconceiveable, and just plain stupid. When I find the link, I'll post it, it was just on the news.

Also, the CofD is asking police/fire to take a 15% wage cut plus pay more for health care premiums. This will total 25% in concessions since 2008.

**Ray1936** · January-31-12, 06:05 PM

Well, they didn't even have a quorum show up today.

Does anyone care for the word, "recall"??????????

Friggin' morons. Absolute morons.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · January-31-12, 09:53 PM

Union busting at it's finest.

**cman710** · January-31-12, 10:31 PM

This may be painful, but what really is the alternative? The money is not there to prevent cuts like this. They will happen one way or the other, whether by the Council or ultimately by an emergency financial manager.

**mam2009** · January-31-12, 10:35 PM

@ Ray1936
;
They didnt have a quorum for the meeting to discuss the budget crisis plan because one was sick, three were meeting with the financial review team and one had to leave for a conference on official City business. And if they had been there, you would probably still call them "morons" because you wouldn't like the solutions that they proposed for right-sizing the budget! I, for one, am quite weary of folks bashing my elected representatives without being privy to why decisions are made. When you rely exclusively on the media for information about decisions that are being made or considered by our local representative body, you will normally be given a story that is written to highlight conflict and ignore the mundane facts and nuances that lead to those policy decisions.

Why don't you just go straight to the source? My City Council members all have phones and staff; several have websites, etc. that they regularly update. They have monthly meetings in various areas around the City. The Council meetings are shown live online during the day and rebroadcast at night on Comcast and AT&T Uverse. If you want financial information, I know that the Auditor General puts all of his reports online and I think the City Council's Fiscal Analyst does the same. READ, HEAR AND SEE FOR YOURSELF. STOP RELYING ON "JOURNALISTS" WHO ARE TAUGHT IN JOURNALISM SCHOOL THAT A STORY IS NOT A STORY WITHOUT CONFLICT.

Buy American · January-31-12, 11:07 PM

Originally Posted by mam2009

@ Ray1936
;
They didnt have a quorum for the meeting to discuss the budget crisis plan because one was sick, three were meeting with the financial review team and one had to leave for a conference on official City business. And if they had been there, you would probably still call them idiots because you wouldn't like the solutions that they proposed for right-sizing the budget! I, for one, am quite weary of folks bashing my elected representatives without being privy to why decisions are made. When you rely exclusively on the media for information about decisions that are being made or considered by our local representative body, you will normally be given a story that is written to highlight conflict and ignore the mundane facts and nuances that lead to those policy decisions.

Why don't you just go straight to the source? My City Council members all have phones and staff; several have websites, etc. that they regularly update. They have monthly meetings in various areas around the City. The Council meetings are shown live online during the day and rebroadcast at night on Comcast and AT&T Uverse. If you want financial information, I know that the Auditor General puts all of his reports online and I think the City Council's Fiscal Analyst does the same. READ, HEAR AND SEE FOR YOURSELF. STOP RELYING ON "JOURNALISTS" WHO ARE TAUGHT IN JOURNALISM SCHOOL THAT A STORY IS NOT A STORY WITHOUT CONFLICT.

I know you addressed the post to Ray1936 but I feel the need to respond.

Right sizing the budget?? How can you right size the budget and hand out raises when you're asking everyone else to take pay cut and make concessions with their health care? Idiots and hypocrites are what they are and Ray is right.

So sorry you are feeling weary of folks bashing YOUR elected representatives, you put them in office, you are to blame for what's happening in Detroit today. Voting a criminal in as Mayor, voting a council member in because of name recognition, you have been derelict in your duties.
You make it sound so business like when in fact it's next to impossible to get in touch with any of the council members either by email, phone or in person. They are incommunicato because they feel their positions warrant a superior attitude. When Gary Brown spouts off about laying off police officers it is so obvious he has a vendetta against the police force in general...he's a turncoat. He got a raise for a member of his staff, Pugh got a raise [[6K) for his pretty boy Chief of Staff, Brenda Jones got a raise for a member of her staff. What the hell is going on with their minds. How can they justify giving raises out to people when the City is in such dire straits?
I have been retired from the City of Detroit for almost 20 years and I can honestly tell you that there has not been one time that I have called down to the CAY for information regarding my pension or my benefits that I've ever received a call back. Either the lines are all busy, the voice mails are all full, or no one answers the phone...period.

You speak of conflict....well, with all due respect, there is plenty of conflict and it's not all because of journalist. It's very obvious what's going on down there when the council members are handing out raises to their favorites and in the same breath, asking police/fire personal to take another wage concession and to pay more for their health care. There has not been a raise since 2008, they are being asked to take a total of 25% concession since then. That's why there is conflict.

**mam2009** · January-31-12, 11:16 PM

Are you telling me that no City workers have gotten promotions since 2008, Buy American?! Because that's why Pugh's new Chief of Staff got a raise. I'm not going to try to defend every decision that each individual Council member makes, but the people that I've elected to represent me deserve to be supported by the folks who put them there. If you don't live here, didn't vote for them, don't bother to call them, etc. then go bash your own elected body and leave mine alone.

**mam2009** · January-31-12, 11:18 PM

And why DID you "feel the need to respond", Buy American? If you don't live here, why all the angst?

**stasu1213** · January-31-12, 11:20 PM

I hope that Charles Pugh is not planning to give his aide a raise so that he[[Pugh) could get a kick back. I hope that the young man doesn't make $76,000 a year and give Mr Pugh some of that money back under the table.

**Hypestyles** · January-31-12, 11:28 PM

http://tinyurl.com/89umj2z
update from detroit news--

**GoGrixdale** · January-31-12, 11:44 PM

Originally Posted by Buy American

...I have been retired from the City of Detroit for almost 20 years and I can honestly tell you that there has not been one time that I have called down to the CAY for information regarding my pension or my benefits that I've ever received a call back.

Just wondering if pension payments are/were affected by the recession? Was there a percentage they've been cut?

Buy American · February-01-12, 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by mam2009

Are you telling me that no City workers have gotten promotions since 2008, Buy American?! Because that's why Pugh's new Chief of Staff got a raise. I'm not going to try to defend every decision that each individual Council member makes, but the people that I've elected to represent me deserve to be supported by the folks who put them there. If you don't live here, didn't vote for them, don't bother to call them, etc. then go bash your own elected body and leave mine alone.

I am telling you that since 2008 there have been no raises to the firefighters/police officers that I know of. In 2008 they took a 10% pay cut, now the City is asking for even more. I am telling you that since this is so, why would Charles Puke, give this guy $6,000 on top of what he makes already, which is substantial. I understand your support, but your head is buried in the sand if you think that YOUR elected officials are out there looking out for you and your best interest, because that's not true. Just look at Puke, he can't handle his own finances and he's handing out money like Detroit is his personal ATM. Kenyatta is or was in foreclosure, and maybe a couple more of YOUR elected officials are having problems financially. Granted, we all have problems with our finances these days, but when you have some elected officials who you trust to do the right thing for YOUR city [[which I never could understand why, all of a sudden, Detroit became a private entity that no one who lives outside the boundries could even speak of). I don't want to say that I did my time in Detroit because that's not how I felt at the time [[except the last few years when my neighborhood became so dangerous to live in)...I loved Detroit...but it has changed, and you know it.
I felt the need to respond just like you felt the need to respond to Ray, you felt he was wrong and I felt you were wrong. The City of Detroit still signs my checks for my pension, so I have every right to feel angry about what goes on there. I feel the same way when people buy foreign automobiles while GM has a big logo on the RenCen and Chrysler has two huge plants on Jefferson....who supports Detroit?

Buy American · February-01-12, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by GoGrixdale

Just wondering if pension payments are/were affected by the recession? Was there a percentage they've been cut?

My pension as been affected by the ever raising cost of health care and I get no raises either. I also have to worry about whose hands are in the till like it's their own ATM.

**drjeff** · February-01-12, 10:57 AM

If the council were any kind of real leaders they would be taking pay cuts themselves, eliminating ridiculous perks like free cars, and cutting back on their bloated administrative staff.

But it's easier to cut pay of cops and firemen who actually have important jobs in the city.

**Novine** · February-01-12, 11:31 AM

This is like watching a husband and wife bicker over whether they should give up their premium cable while their house is being foreclosed on and their car is repossessed. I get that it looks bad to have people getting raises or Councilmembers having perks like cars while the city's going down the tubes. But none of that really matters now and even if Charles Pugh gave up his entire salary and all the perks, the city is still going to be facing bankruptcy or an EFM and there are still going to be massive layoffs or massive rollbacks in pay and benefits for Detroit police and fire. But if you want to pretend that cutting the cable will save your home and car, continue to indulge yourself in that fantasy.

**Ray1936** · February-01-12, 11:39 AM

I'm not going to respond to the post of mam2009 other than to say it is refreshing to see him/her give support to city government. I don't think it's deserved, but positive outlooks are needed. I do tire of all the 'doom and gloom' views of the CofD, truthful as they may be.

**jolla** · February-01-12, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by mam2009

...but the people that I've elected to represent me deserve to be supported by the folks who put them there. If you don't live here, didn't vote for them, don't bother to call them, etc. then go bash your own elected body and leave mine alone.

1. I don't live in the city of Detroit, but as Detroit goes, so goes the state. When Detroit fails, it pulls the surrounding communities with it; that's why I care. Plus of course, I love Detroit and don't like to see it fail.

2. You seem to be more upset at someone "bashing" your elected body than you do at the poor job your elected body has done. Do you not see the mess that Detroit is and do you not think that the elected body [[over the years, not just the current crop) is at least partially responsible? Your idea that elected officials deserve your support is odd; they are there to serve and support you, not the other way around.

Buy American · February-01-12, 11:46 AM

The clowncil is of the opinion that they own Detroit and that any outsider [[Lansing or a suburb) doesn't have a "right" to come in and take over. It's all about race [[especially when you listen to JoAnn Watson) talk about "giving up her seat on the bus"..."we want to manage our own business"...she claims she was a target of a smear campaign when it was made public that she only paid $68/yr. in taxes on her home. "whatever I was billed, I paid" was her reply, knowing all along that she was screwing HER city out of taxes. "we will not give up the city", code word "we".

The clowncil has the perks that should be eliminated and they constantly refuse and keep asking the general city employees, police/fire, to give up their wages and their health care. Something is wrong with this picture. Detroit isn't owned by the clowncil, Detroit isn't owned by a group, everyone in Michigan has a stake in what happens there.

This council needs to lead by example and they are not doing that.

**fryar** · February-01-12, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by Novine

This is like watching a husband and wife bicker over whether they should give up their premium cable while their house is being foreclosed on and their car is repossessed. I get that it looks bad to have people getting raises or Councilmembers having perks like cars while the city's going down the tubes. But none of that really matters now and even if Charles Pugh gave up his entire salary and all the perks, the city is still going to be facing bankruptcy or an EFM and there are still going to be massive layoffs or massive rollbacks in pay and benefits for Detroit police and fire. But if you want to pretend that cutting the cable will save your home and car, continue to indulge yourself in that fantasy.

Agreed. The few tens of thousands of dollars this would save is a drop in the bucket. I do, however, think the symbolic value is very valuable in terms of shared suffering. I know I would value it.

Buy American · February-01-12, 12:26 PM

^^^^As I said, the council needs to lead by example.

**Kevgoblue** · February-01-12, 01:04 PM

BuyAmerican. You seem very adamant in your opions of the council and their ability to balance the budget and save the city, if only they'd make some cuts.
Maybe you should petitioning for givebacks by the retirees. Take a whack out of the pension and health care costs. You know, the shared sacrifice that it appears you are advocating.

**Danny** · February-01-12, 01:11 PM

Its too late how the Detroit City Council can fix on their severe financial problems. They are 20 billion dollars in the hole. They will run out of cash by April 1st and a hostile takeover for Snyder, the nerd's Emergency Manager will close the coffin on Detroit's self government since 1701.